Shu Yi smiled and pinched Xu Yunzheng's little face, saying, "Zheng Zheng, your godmother might like your godfather too, but you know, the adult world is complicated. You won't understand if I explain it now, but you'll get it when you're older."
Zheng Zheng indeed didn't understand. If even adults couldn't figure out these issues, how could a two-year-old child possibly comprehend?
Life is vast like the sea and as varied as mountains and rivers. It doesn't always go smoothly. The waxing and waning, the ups and downs - that's reality, isn't it?
Liking someone, loving someone, being together, and getting married are all different things. They shouldn't be confused with one another.
Chang Zhiyuan sat in his assistant's car as they arrived at the Chang family's old residence. Once he and Chang Ningjing had the means, they had moved out of the old house to live on their own. At first, he was just dissatisfied with his parents' favoritism towards sons over daughters, but now he realized that Chang Huaiming and Nie Ling's mindset was the real problem.
"Push me in," he said.
Chang Zhiyuan sat back in his wheelchair, with his assistant pushing from behind. The door was opened by the family's housekeeper.
"Madam, the young master is back," the housekeeper announced.
Nie Ling, who had been sitting on the sofa drinking tea, was surprised. Upon hearing the housekeeper's voice, she quickly stood up and walked over.
"Zhiyuan, why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be recovering in the hospital? Huaiming, Zhiyuan is back!" Nie Ling called out, raising her head.
"Why I'm back? Don't you know?" Chang Zhiyuan asked.
Nie Ling felt guilty; of course, she knew.
"What's wrong? Has something major happened? Mom really doesn't know why you're back," she said, her eyes darting around, occasionally glancing at the staircase, waiting for Chang Huaiming to come and rescue her from this situation.
Chang Zhiyuan, dressed in hospital clothes, sat on the sofa, appearing particularly calm, but his gaze was sharp as he stared directly at Nie Ling.
"Son, don't look at me like that. I'm not a criminal. That look in your eyes is quite frightening," Nie Ling said nervously.
"Frightening? I don't think so," he replied coolly.
"Is that any way to speak to your mother? Show some respect," Chang Huaiming said as he came down the stairs.
Nie Ling breathed a sigh of relief.
"And how did you speak to Shu Yi? Was that respectful?" Chang Zhiyuan asked.
"You found out?" his father questioned.
"I'm not stupid. I was alone in the hospital room with no one coming to visit me. Don't you think I should have figured it out?"
"Zhiyuan, your mother and I only want what's best for you. That young girl is in the entertainment industry. She's not suitable for you," Chang Huaiming explained.
"How is she not suitable? I'm in the entertainment industry too. I've been in it even longer than her. I even filmed a movie recently."
"That's different. You're at the top of the industry. And didn't you only act in that film because of her?"
Chang Zhiyuan almost laughed in frustration. So they knew he had acted in the film for her sake.
"Mom, Dad, you're getting older, and there are some things I shouldn't say to you. But precisely because you're older, you should be more open-minded. Children have their own destiny. If you keep acting like this, when will you ever have grandchildren? There are some things I've never wanted to say, because I felt there was no need. But now, I have no choice."
Chang Huaiming and Nie Ling exchanged a glance.
"From childhood, you've always doted on me, and I know that. But what about my sister? Haven't you neglected her? At first, I understood. The older generation has strong family values, and there's often some favoritism towards sons. But you've taken it too far. Since we were little, anything good always came to me first. When I was young, I didn't understand. I even thought she might not be your real daughter. Growing up, it was mostly my sister who took care of me. Unlike others, she never resented me because of your favoritism. On the contrary, my sister was smart. She knew from the start that only by being good to me would she be noticed by you."
Chang Huaiming and Nie Ling remained silent.
"Isn't it sad? The world is full of wonders, and sometimes I find it unbelievable. That time I fell into the water, it was she who saved me. After pulling me out, she was the one left in the water, and she got sick. Did you blame her then for not taking good care of me? You say you love me, but it was my sister who took care of me the most. She's only two years older than me. Dad, I can understand you were busy with work, but Mom, what were you doing? Playing mahjong. Do you know why my sister has never married? Because saving me left her with an illness that made her infertile!"
As Chang Zhiyuan said this, Chang Huaiming and Nie Ling's expressions changed. They clearly hadn't expected this reason.
"Mom, Dad, I know it hasn't been easy for you. But we're grown up now. You didn't take care of us much when we were little, so please don't interfere now that we're adults. My feelings for Shu Yi are serious."
"But that girl..." Nie Ling began, but Chang Zhiyuan quickly cut her off.
"No buts. She's wonderful. She has education, ability, and beauty. In what way is she not good enough for me? Her family background? A simple background is just fine. Besides, I used to have a terrible reputation. Everyone would say, 'Chang Zhiyuan? Isn't he the one who changes women faster than he changes clothes?' How could someone like that be worthy of her? Anyway, she's the one for me, for life. I'm informing you of this. If you won't accept her as your daughter-in-law, then you might as well not have me as a son. Think it over carefully. I've said my piece. It's up to you now."
With that, Chang Zhiyuan turned his wheelchair around and left.
The couple stood there, stunned for a good while, seemingly unable to accept this reality.
Nie Ling cried, hitting Chang Huaiming. "How did it come to this? We truly wanted the best for him. Why are his words so final?"
Chang Huaiming watched Chang Zhiyuan's retreating figure, lost in thought. Had they really been wrong all this time?
After all these years, had they failed so miserably as parents?
At the ice cream shop, Shen Yin took a bite of her ice cream and said, "It's true that being from similar backgrounds is important. Love rarely triumphs over reality. Parents genuinely want what's best for their children, but they often don't know what their children truly desire."
"Whether it's a match of equals or not, we can't predict how relationships will turn out. Who can guarantee that a couple from similar backgrounds will always be happy? And who can say that a love match won't have a good outcome? It might be rare, but it does happen. In the future, when it comes to our little Zheng Zheng's relationships, I'll absolutely not interfere. You see how Qi Ji is always joking about Zheng Zheng being her son-in-law? I bet when the time comes, if the kids don't like each other, she definitely won't force them."
"Little Qi Ji hasn't even determined whether it's a boy or a girl in her belly yet."
"Boy or girl, it's all the same."
Shen Yin's way of thinking was quite progressive. She herself was a unique individual who had experienced many unusual things, so naturally, her perspective was broader than most.
"Hmm, I'm feeling better now. I haven't let myself get too caught up in it yet. Quick, praise me – a good meal is all it takes to heal me."
Shu Yi lifted her head, seeking approval.
"Let's praise godmother! Godmother is awesome!"
Xu Yunzheng clapped his hands enthusiastically.
